The search in the Ring video history is very helpful for keeping track of my cat.

Ring's new Smart Video Search feature allows users to browse recordings to locate specific events, ranging from a lost cat to a red garment. This advancement, powered by artificial intelligence, offers the ability to search the video history using natural language phrases such as "a black cat at night," "a red truck in the rain," or "a child riding their bike yesterday." Compared to the smart notifications currently offered by Ring, which only alert about doorbells, people, or packages, this new functionality provides an unprecedented level of historical information.

The rollout of this feature begins today in beta for users in the United States who have the Ring Protect Pro plan, which costs $19.99 per month. At launch, the search can identify events related to animals, vehicles, packages, and people, which can be filtered by location, time, and weather conditions, such as "raccoons in the backyard last night." It also has the capability to recognize various actions, such as jumping, running, playing, and biking.

So far, Ring has lagged behind competitors like Google Nest, Arlo, and Wyze by not offering specific alerts for pets and vehicles. Although this new search function will not send real-time alerts for these activities, it makes locating those events in past recordings easier.

The implementation of the search is optional. When activating it, users must consent to Ring processing videos “safely” and using anonymous searches to enhance the feature, in accordance with Ring's privacy policy. After a few minutes of analyzing the events, users can begin searching immediately through a new search box in the app's history tab.

Users can review their recording history for up to 180 days. While the pet and vehicle search has performed well, it may occasionally lack precision. One user noted that searching for "Amazon truck" yielded only images of their chicken coop, but switching the query to "Amazon delivery person" allowed the app to filter the relevant events.

The search utilizes Ring IQ technology, which combines artificial intelligence and Visual Language Modeling to match text with images and deliver quick results. According to Eric Kuhn, general manager of experiences and subscriptions at Ring, this feature searches both live views and recorded motion events, but analyzes only the video, not the audio.

Starting next month, Ring will launch continuous 24/7 recording, but the search will not cover all that material; it will be limited to event-triggered recordings and live views. Additionally, there are restrictions on the use of derogatory terms or explicit language in searches.

Despite not being the first company to launch a similar feature, Ring is the first to offer it publicly to all of its users. Smart Video Search is available in public beta starting today, in contrast to Wyze's feature which is still in a pilot program and Google's recent promise to implement a similar search that has yet to materialize.

Ring also announced new subscription plans, which will be available starting November 5. Smart Video Search will be part of the new Ring Home Premium subscription, along with the 24/7 continuous recording feature. However, many Ring customers have expressed dissatisfaction over the removal of professional home monitoring service for their alarm system, which is now offered as an optional add-on. It remains to be seen whether new features like video search and continuous recording will be sufficient to maintain user loyalty to Ring.